The Chief of Prestea-Hemang, Nana Nteboa Prah IV, has appealed to Golden Star Bogoso/Prestea Limited, a gold mining company in the region to do well to employ qualified indigenes of Prestea in the company to ensure peaceful coexistence between the company and the people.

According to the traditional ruler, the mining company had been a major source of employment in the area hence, majority of the indigenes who had graduated from the various universities and other tertiary institutions are looking forward to be employed in the company.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, the chief pointed out that there had been a community agreement indicating that qualified youth in the company’s catchment areas would be given the highest quota when it came to employment.

“It is however disheartening to note that even though most of the youth in Prestea had the requisite qualification, the mining company had been employing more people from outside the catchment areas and this is creating tension in Prestea”, he asserted.

He spoke to DAILY GUIDE after the mining company presented a tractor and two hydraulic trailers for the people of Prestea and adjoining communities in the company’s catchment area for the evacuation of wastes in the communities to a final dumping site.

“The youth keep on blaming the traditional leaders for not doing enough to help them get jobs in the mining company. They have threatened several times to embark on demonstrations but we have to restrain them”, he added.

Mr Nyanzu Agyabu, Environmental Services and Safety Manager of the mining company indicated that the equipment were purchased with funds from the people’s share of the company’s community development fund.

“The Prestea community has a challenge with waste management to the extent that some water bodies were being contaminated. This is because the assembly’s compacter has developed some faults”, he noted.

“So the Community Consultation Committee (CCC) in the area agreed that part of their share of the fund be used to purchase the items”, he said at a brief ceremony to officially hand over the equipment to the chiefs of Prestea.

He pointed out that the residents would be charged a token for the services rendered unto them for the maintenance of the machines and the payment of salaries of the operators.

Mr Robert Gyamfi, Community Affairs Manager of Golden Star Resources Limited indicated that the donation would help the people to have the capacity to move wastes out of the Prestea area to a safe dumping site.

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.